Mandala's Catalyst (Gardone Trilogy)

by Warren R. Henke

  A heavy thud shook the ground and two red eyes flashed in the dust. The air was clearing and now he could make out the mountain through the hazy air. Another thud and the eyes reappeared and shot into the air atop an immense shadow that pushed and shoved boulders aside as it crawled out of the mountain. It crawled forward on four legs and its fiery eyes locked on him. His mind raced — run, hold still, hide — but he was frozen. The beast heaved and stood on its hind legs and its long neck rose, lifting its red eyes and horned head high into the sky. With long heavy breaths, it watched him, growling deep and angry.

  An image of his parents crying at the loss of their son flashed; this was where his life ended. He knew it. The monstrous head lowered and advanced. Several arrows were sticking out of its face and body; it was injured and mad. It snarled and saliva dripped from its long white fangs. Jasper closed his eyes and hoped it would be quick.

  It suddenly screamed, furiously, and the ground pulsed…it was stumbling. He opened his eyes to see it hobbling and twisting its neck to snap at its back. It lurched sideways, breathing fire wildly into the air and Jasper saw a crimson stain spreading down its chest. He scrambled to his feet and lunged out of the way as it plunged forward and crashed through the forest, snapping trees until it thumped heavily to the ground.

  He scrambled backwards, eyes wide and locked on the scaly tail quivering as it stretched from the forest out into the sandy clearing. But he tripped, falling onto his back onto something soft. He rolled and screamed. He’d fallen on the bloodied, lifeless body of Shad, whose eyes stared back in a frozen morbid stare. He tried to jump to his feet but hands grabbed his shoulders and he thrashed at them.

  “Jasper!”

  He kicked and twisted.

  “Jasper!” Arms wrapped around him and he felt warm breath against his ear. “It’s me, Jasper, I have you!”

  He turned and saw Jewell’s dirty, bloodied face.

  “You are safe,” she said.

  He stopped struggling but his body began trembling like he was freezing. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

  “Are you hurt?” she said.

  He shook his head.

  “Help!” A woman yelled.

  Jewell spun around, “Hello?”

  “Help! Please!” The woman said.

  “Stay here,” Jewell said and released her hold on him. But he disobeyed and followed her to see two figures stumbling out of the collapsed cave, one supporting the other.

  “He needs help, please! And two more are inside!” the woman said, struggling to pull the man to safety.

  Jewell helped lay the man on the ground and leaned over him. Her face turned white. “Rudolfo? Help me!” she screamed frantically as her eyes filled with tears. “This is my husband! Somebody help me!”

  Jasper ran forward, horrified to see Migun’s father bloody, bruised, and unconscious lying next to Jewell. The woman dug through her pack.

  “What can I do?” Jasper said.

  The woman pulled several items from the pack. “There are two more in the cave. Go find them!” Then she mumbled strange words as Jewell continued to cry and cradle Rudolfo’s head.

  Jasper didn’t want to interrupt, but the words came out. “Is Len with you?”

  “King Len?” the woman said, and put several bright red leaves into a small mortar.

  “Yes,”

  “Yes, he’s in there, go find him.”

  Jasper raced to the mountain. Scattered rocks blocked most of the entrance where the metal door had been; a small dark hole still marked the opening. He climbed over the rocks and stuck his head inside the cave.

  “Father? Len!”

  He listened for a response, but heard nothing. He crawled inside, feeling his way through the opening as he tried to suppress an image of his crushed father from flashing through his mind.

  “Hello?” his voice cracked.

  A moan in the darkness filled him with hope and he lunged forward. A bright flash and sudden pain stopped him. His head throbbed and he rubbed it and tried to move around the low hanging rocks, slower this time. But he banged his head again.

  He backed out of the cave, groaning and cursing under his breath.

  “I can’t see! I need a torch!” he yelled and he ran towards Jewell.

  She was still holding Rudolfo, crying, while the other woman chanted and smeared green paste under Rudolfo’s nose.

  Jewell looked up at Jasper. He needed her help but knew he couldn’t ask her to leave Rudolfo. He looked back at the cave and then at Jewell, who was whispering to Rudolfo.

  “I love you,” she said through her sobs. “Please don’t die, not after all this time. Stay with me…”

  Jasper turned and started running back to the cave.

  “Jasper!” Jewell yelled.

  He stopped and turned; she was running towards him. “Get a torch from the trailhead, and the fire kit. Light the torch and bring it to me, I’ll go find your father.”

  She ran past him to the cave and he ran down the sandy clearing, staying clear of the dragon’s tail. He reached the path into the trees and collided with Yakoh, running the opposite direction.

  Yakoh caught him and kept him from falling. “What happened?”

  “Torch!” said Jasper out of breath. “We need a torch…we need fire! Fast!”

  Yakoh ducked into the brush and Jasper waited. He came back out with two torches and tools to make fire.

  “Jewell needs it at the cave,” Jasper pointed.

  Yakoh ran past Jasper into the clearing, where he skidded to a stop and gawked at the giant tail stretched across the clearing. “What in—”

  “—The cave! Hurry!” Jasper yelled and ran past him, again staying clear of the dragon.

  As they neared the cave, Jewell ran to meet them.

  “Light them, hurry!” She said.

  Yakoh dropped to the ground and dumped the bag of kindling, rocks, and metal. He grabbed the metal and struck it against the flint. Sparks showered into the bundle of soft wood shavings and he quickly picked up the wood, held it over his head, and blew on it. Almost instantly smoke began to pour out and then burst into flame. He lit the torches, handed one to Jewell, and they both ran to the cave.

  The cave had collapsed and they had to crawl, climb, and twist their way inside. It opened up and they found the source of the moaning. Half buried in rock and barely conscious was Endell’s father, Thamus, clutching an enormous book in his arms. As they lifted the rocks to free him, Jasper tried to not show his disappointment.

  Jewell tried to take the book but Thamus pulled it back and cracked open an eye. “Sorry, I have to hold on to this,” he mumbled.

  Jewell nodded.

  “Is Sharel alive?” Thamus asked.

  “Yes, she’s in our camp,” Jewell said.

  Thamus moaned again.

  “Thamus?” Jasper asked as the final rocks were lifted away. “Is my father with you?”

  Thamus looked up and nodded as he pointed across the cave. “Over there.”

  Jasper turned and his eyes filled with tears. A wall of rocks blocked the passage ahead. He stumbled across the rough ground to where Thamus had pointed. He could go no further.

  “Father?” he yelled. He scanned the flickering cavern, only rocks. His hands began to tremble and he choked on his words. “Father?”

  “Len?” Yakoh yelled from behind him. “Len, where are you?”

  No answer.

  A giant shadow drifted across the cavern walls as Yakoh, holding a torch, moved past Jasper to the collapsed tunnel. He rolled a large boulder aside.

  “Hang in there Len!” Yakoh yelled

  A hand rested on Jasper’s shoulder, causing him to jump. He turned and saw Jewell. “We’ll find him. Go outside and tell the others what is happening.”

  Jasper started to protest, but Jewell stopped him. “Find your mother. If she’s not out there you need to get her.”

  Jasper took a final look at the pile of rocks where Thamus had pointed
. He pushed out his thoughts and turned to leave the cave.

  “Jasper?” Jewell said.

  He looked at her, not caring that she’d see the tears streaming down his cheeks.

  “We’ll do everything we can. You and your mother stay together. You need each other.”

  He nodded and left the cave.

  * * * Yelling jolted Tari from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes, crawled to the flap covering the doorway, and pushed it back. It was neither day nor night. The sun had begun to chase the darkness but not yet succeeded.

  “You will stay here!” Gareth yelled.

  “I am going, you can’t stop me!” Sharel yelled back.

  Tari groaned, slipped on her shoes, and crawled outside. Sharel and Gareth were standing by the coals still glowing from last night’s fire.

  “Gareth?” She yelled, running to them. “What is the problem?”

  “Tari, thank goodness. I have to leave and she won’t stop following me.”

  “Where are you going?” Tari asked.

  “The signal, didn’t you hear it? Everyone else already left,” he said and turned to walk down the trail.

  “What signal? What does it mean?” she said.

  “They need help at the door, that’s all I know. You both stay here and we’ll be back,” he called over his shoulder.

  “I’m coming too, my son is down there.” She stepped forward and bumped into Migun. “Migun? Why are you up?”

  “If you are going, so am I,” Migun said.

  Gareth threw up his hands. “You crazy women! I don’t have time for this.”

  A low rumble, like distant thunder, silenced all of them. Gareth looked up and Tari followed his gaze. Clear skies.

  “What was—” But Tari never finished. A long hideous screech filled the sky. Gareth immediately sprinted down the trail, she followed, and heard Sharel and Migun chasing them. Keeping up with Gareth wasn’t difficult, but staying ahead of Migun was. As Tari ran, ducked, and dodged her way through the forest, she could occasionally feel Migun brush against her legs from behind. The last thing she needed was the two of them tumbling to the ground. When they emerged from the trees Gareth splashed through a shallow stream and turned up the wash. He glanced behind and seemed to look frustrated that the three women were still behind him.

  Tari splashed through the stream and heard Migun and Sharel do the same. Their running slowed as the stream narrowed and the water deepened; she heard someone fall, splashing into the water and hoped it Sharel. As the forest closed in tight around them, Gareth ducked to the right and vanished up the hill into the trees. Tari followed him up the steep trail and as she reached the top, heard yelling. She burst into the clearing and the sand grabbed at her feet, threw her off balance, and she nearly fell. With flailing hands, she caught her balance and stopped. A stones throw ahead a large tail protruded from the forest and stretched across the clearing. Her mouth fell open and she looked at Gareth, also staring in astonishment.

  “Crazybeard!”

  Tari saw Jasper running towards them. He jumped over the tail as he approached.

  “They need help! Hurry!” Jasper pointed across the beast to the other side of the clearing. “They need a healer.”

  “What happened?” Tari said, grabbing his shoulders while Gareth ran ahead.

  “Thamus and…” he stopped as Migun and Sharel emerged from the trees. He looked at Sharel, “your husband is here. He’s hurt but they are trying to help him.” He turned to Migun. “Your father is there, too.” He pointed again.

  “My father?” Migun said.

  “Yes, he’s with your mother, go around the dragon and you’ll see.”

  Migun hesitated and eyed the dragon.

  “It’s dead,” Jasper said.

  Migun darted away and Sharel followed. They ran up to the edge of the mountain, as far away from the dragon as possible.

  “What happened? Tari said, shaking him.

  Jasper took a deep breath. “That,” he pointed to the dragon, “busted out of the mountain. It blew the door away.” The enthusiasm left his voice, and he paused. “Shad is dead. He was killed when the dragon came out.”

  “Shad?” Even though she didn’t know him, a knot formed in her throat.

  “And,” Jasper choked. “And…” his eyes filled with tears as he struggled to speak.

  “What?” The knot in her throat twisted. “Jasper! Tell me!”

  “Father…” he said and began to weep.

  Her hands went numb and she felt dizzy. Jasper wrapped his arms around her.

  “Len,” she whispered as tears rained down her face. She swallowed and pushed away from Jasper. “Where is he?”

  “We don’t know. They are searching.”

  “Did that do it? Is that what killed him?”

  “No!” Jasper said, breaking from his sobs. “Don’t say that!”

  “Say what?”

  “Don’t say he’s dead. We just have to find him.”

  “I thought you were saying he was…”

  “We don’t know what happened, he was in the cave when it collapsed. The dragon charged him and crashed into the wall and nobody knows where he is. They are looking for him.”

  Tari looked at the monster. “He fought the dragon?”

  Jasper nodded. “He killed it, well, with some help from the mountain is what Thamus said.”

  She walked to the dragon, most of its body jutted into the forest. Even lying prone, it rose high above her.

  “It must be young because it’s a lot smaller than Nix,” Jasper said from beside her.

  Tari reached out and touched its coarse scales. They were hard, like pieces of rock covering its body. It’s outstretched leg was turned up, exposing sharp talons that even on a small dead dragon were frightening. Her eyes followed it’s long body up…its upper back, near the neck, was covered in blood…and something else. She walked forward, slowly at first, but then quickened her pace.

  “Mother?”

  She climbed over trees and trampled through bushes to its shoulders and jumped, trying to see up on its back. It didn’t help. She climbed onto a fallen tree and stood tall.

  “Jasper!” she screamed. “Get Gareth.”

  Two gauntlets held the hilt of a sword, which was embedded into the monsters back.

  “Len? Len! Answer me!”

  Could it be Len? It had to be, although Len didn’t wear armor. But it was somebody; somebody that needed help. She climbed higher up the fallen tree until she could see. A warrior lay face down on its back, hands still grasping the sword that had killed it. Was it Len? She jumped off the tree and onto the dragon’s body. She climbed up the back to the fallen warrior.

  “Len?”

  No response. She pulled the heavy gloves until they released the sword. With a deep breath, she heaved and rolled the man onto his back. The helmet partially blocked his face, but she could see through the open slits in the visor.

  She slumped forward and her face fell onto his chest.

  “Len,” She whispered and wept, wrapping her arms around armor, but it was like hugging a steel soldier. In this horrible moment she couldn’t even hold him.

  “Tari,” answered a weak voice from behind the metal.

  She lifted her face and had to blink hard to clear the tears. Two eyes flickered from inside the helmet.

  “Len?”

  His hand twitched and she reached for it. She pulled off the glove and placed his palm to her cheek.

  “I came back for you,” he said, struggling for breath. “I was going to another place, but then I felt you.”

  Tari laughed, or cried. She wasn’t sure which.

  The dragon moved and Tari looked up to see a strange woman climbing to them.

  “I’m China,” she said to Tari. “How is he?”

  “Alive, but not by much.”

  “I’ll take care of that,” China said and knelt beside him.

  She unhooked the chest plate and lifted it off. She touched his neck
and ran her hands gently across his body. “He’s going to be fine,” she said to Tari, then leaned to the side and yelled, “He’s alive!”

  The cheering that followed brought more tears. He was alive, they were with friends, and they had somehow survived another nightmare.

  Chapter 20

  Sorrow and Joy

  Delorah sat motionless at the window, her eyes aimed at where the moon reflected off the lake. Candles from the village dotted the landscape and the Blue Mountains in the distance cut a ragged edge against the star filled sky. But she saw none of this. Her silky nightgown brushed against her body as a breeze glided through the large open archway. Her elbows were planted on the windowsill and her head in her hands, distorting her face into a grim grin.

  This morning her eyes had twinkled with excitement at the day ahead, but now they were flat. The day betrayed her, snuffing them out.

  The Guide had tried to help her, which she appreciated. He meant well but nothing could stop her tears. She longed to go back to her family’s house in the farmlands, back to the fun times with Jasper, Endell, and Migun. Back to Mother’s voice, singing nonstop from morning until night. Back to Father’s teasing and laughing.

  How is it that her life, in one day, could go so wrong? She looked at the plant next to the window. She could be sleeping peacefully right now but it hadn’t seemed right. It wasn’t right to escape the pain of her parent’s death by drinking the tea that made her sleep; it always made her sleep. So she’d poured it into the plant because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings and leave it full. But now, instead of sleeping, she was alone and hurting.

  Her eyes returned to the gray rock between her elbows. She wasn’t looking out the window but she was thinking about what was outside it. Not about the city, lake, or mountains, but on the ground far below. She could remove her pain and forget her mistakes forever.

  She had only wanted to bring glory to her family. She wanted to give them a life of royalty and wealth. Now they were gone and her gift to them was useless. Her dream of serving Nix was pointless.

  She often sought comfort from this window, gazing out at the city. But tonight’s comfort was different. She climbed into the deep window and crawled forward until her eyes hung over the edge. Now she was lying in the window itself, gazing down at the dark ground far below. This felt good. It was nice to know that an end to her pain was so close, so reachable. With a gentle push forward, she would reach the ground in seconds and it would all be over.